Clara

Clara is a queer- and woman-owned Wicker Park cocktail bar and performance space, with room for up to 119 standing guests or 80 seated. Its scale points toward close-up sets, and its programming gives emerging Chicago performers a recurring platform. The strongest point of difference sits in the address itself: Clara operates in the space that opened in 2017 as Tapster, Chicago’s first bar built entirely around self-poured drinks.

One address, two distinct bar ideas

The room’s documented venue story begins on March 10, 2017, when owner Roman Maliszewski opened Tapster at 2027 W. North Avenue. Eater reported 62 taps for beer, draft cocktails, wine, craft soda, and coffee drinks, all operated by customer tap cards; it called the project Chicago’s first fully pour-your-own-beer bar. Early photos and reporting described exposed brick, a three-part interior divided by half-staircases, and a prominent tap wall, making the technology part of the evening’s theater.

Clara gives the site a different musical premise. The present bar takes its name from pianist and composer Clara Wieck Schumann, whose work ranged across solo piano pieces, chamber music, and lieder. That choice connects the room’s cocktail-bar setting to a stated mission of supporting new and local performers, with artist tips available directly through guests’ tabs.

What the room offers now

Expect a calendar led by jazz, with progressive jazz-funk, singer-songwriter sets, improvisational live film scores, jam sessions, karaoke, comedy, and other small-format events in the mix. Clara says most live music carries free admission, with bar sales helping fund performers. The room is 21+, serves craft cocktails, wine, small bites, and spirit-free options, and includes a private area listed for groups of up to 35; its 80-seat, 119-standing capacity keeps shows intimate by design.